Associative series as a psychologist's tool

In the most generalized sense, an associative series is a set of elements related to each other on a common basis. Moreover, if the element A is associated with the element B by some associated attribute, and the element B is associated with the element C, it is not necessary that the associative row of A be associated with C. For example, if the word "summer" is mentioned, the following associative series may arise: the sea , Beach, sand, etc. Each subsequent word is associated with the previous one, but not necessarily with the one that stands before the previous one. This is a sequential associative series. There are also rows in which all elements are united by one common feature. This question is considered in more detail in set theory.
The associative ranks have now found wide application in various fields of humanitarian knowledge. With the help of association testing, one can understand the respondent's psychological state, his life views and even his thinking. For this purpose, the so-called associative experiment is conducted, during which it is proposed to choose objects or to name words associated with certain reference ones. Associative experiments include the famous color test of Lusher, since the craving for this or that color palette is associated with the projection of the internal states of a person on it.
Nevertheless, it should be emphasized that the evaluation of the personality by associative schemes is not always adequate. Each person can call his own associative array to any word, because associative connections are formed in the process of gaining experience. Everyone has his own. But normal from the psychological point of view people will have similar associative series. But one of the main signs of schizophrenia is the presence of dissociative thinking.
It is more justified to use the associative experiment in assessing the development of preschoolers and children of primary school age. To educate children, so-called associative games are often used now, when it is necessary to sort several objects according to a certain feature or to find a pair according to the common feature.
The associative series is also used in assessing the level of erudition of the individual and in the tests for IQ. Despite the wide dissemination of this type of assessment of intellectual abilities, it still has some disadvantages. The fact is that in one case an individual can build the right associative series or unite objects on a common basis in the process of reflection, and in the other as a consequence of the previous experience. Accordingly, in the first case, we will deal with a more capable person in the logical and logical terms, and in the second, with more erudite and trained.

However, some researchers believe that the ability to quickly structure information and find logical connections in it is always a consequence of a trained thought-logical apparatus. Training should begin as early as possible, in childhood, and be conducted on the widest range of tasks.